Firestone Walker Lil Opal (Bourbon Barrel)

Formerly brewed at Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Style: Belgian Ale
Paso Robles, California USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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From tap. Pours cloudy orange with a small white head. Aroma is smooth malty and light spiced. Smooth fruity, light spiced and medium dry phenolic. Bitter and dry into the finish.

Draft @ FoBAB 2009, Chicago, IL. Pours a clear golden color with a small white head. Has a fruity spicy slightly funky oak aroma. Sweetish malty spicy weak sour apples and woody bourbon flavor. Has a sweetish malty spicy woody tannic bourbon finish.

In short: A bland vinous golden belgian ale
How: Tap at Extreme Beer Fest 2011
The look: Cloudy golden body topped by a beige ring of foam
In long: Aroma and taste had plenty of barrels but I would have guessed wine barrels, not bourbon barrels. The beer was quite vinous, some tannins, some fruits, a spicy notes. The beer had a lifeless body with a lack of carbonation. Being a Saison lover I was excited to try this beer since the base beer is a Saison. There is nothing even remotely Saison in the BA version. A beer I should not have drank. But drinking a lot of beer is good for the skin. I look so young, I still get carded by cops when I urinate in the middle of the street.

Draft at EBF. Pours an amber body with a bubbly head. Splintery wood tones, light oak, little bourbon but not so much. Almost tastes more like a wine barrel. A hint of cherry, a bit thin, light peach notes. Nothing really came in any abundance in this session ale, but i enjoyed it nonetheless.

Draft sample at FOBAB 2010. Pours a cloudy yellow-gold with a small eggshell white head. Notes of brett, earth, peppery spices, dust, musty funk, and basement. Light-bodied, with crisp carbonation and a light, earthy mouthfeel. Refreshing and light. A barrel aged beer at 4.1%, and a big surprise.

Sampled from the tap at 2010 FOBAB. Poured a clear gold with a white head that dissipated slowly to the edges. Aroma had a spice note with a light grain and bread note. There was also a light floral note and some oak. Flavor began with floral notes and heavy spice with a bit of oak/ bourbon in the finish.

FOBAB 2009 - pours a hazed yellow with a small cream head. wow. really light and refreshing. notes of brett, wood, dust, earth, mold, and earth funk. some spices. good beer.

FoBAB 2009 (thanks for the recommendation Mike): Hazy golden hue with a small fizzy head. The aroma has notes of pepper and herbal spice, sour apple, grains, and a hint of funk among the faint bourbon vapours. The taste is very acidic (grapes) at first with a continuous spicy yeasty component running throughout. Lightly oak influenced with tannic and toasty undertones. The mouth feel is light and lively, quite refreshing. A very sessionable beer that stood out for all the big arse beers of the day.

On tap at the Pizza Port Session Ale fest. Pours with a slightly hazed golden body with a small white head. Aroma is strongly oaky, with bourbon vanilla and light buttery notes, honey, light wheat and a tinge of sour. Taste is wheat, light citrus, oak-vanilla tannins, butter, bourbon and chardonnay grapes. Thin mouthfeel, but lively bubbles. Interesting little beer, and quite different than the regular Little Opal.

On tap at Pizza Port San Clemente’s Session Ale fest 2009, lots of bourbon up front in the nose, nice citrus and crisp flavor. well done